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I chuckle, not caring which of us his comment is directed at. Joy rolls onto her back as I pull out and I drag a finger through Aldo’s come, locking eyes with him as I lick my finger clean.

“Fuck me,” he mutters.

Pulling back the covers and swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I wink at him. “Maybe next time.”

His eyes flash and if my dick could have rallied, it would have. He mentioned in the club that he and Doug only fooled around. God, I want to go there with him. To claim him.

Once again, thoughts of Doug cause my mood to spiral, and I pull my underwear back up and grab my phone before heading to the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. While the others clean up, I check my messages. He hasn’t texted. Not surprising.

Frowning, I open up our thread and type out a message.

ME: Hope you’re okay. When are you coming back?

I have no idea what time it is in the UK, so I lock my phone and put it on the side as I wash my hands and start fixing the coffee. It doesn’t take long for a smile to creep back over my face as I think about Joy.

The sound of running water pulls my attention and I stare at the half-closed bedroom door, wondering whether she’s showering with Aldo. I wait for jealousy to kick in, but it’s only faint. More a feeling of disappointment in missing out. It evaporates instantly as Aldo walks out of the bedroom in his sweatpants.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, I fold my arms and watch as he retrieves his clothes from last night, tugging his t-shirt free from his sweatshirt and pulling it on.

“Enjoying the show?” He smirks as he heads over to the kitchen.

I shrug. “I prefer it when the clothes are coming off, but I’ll take it.”

Aldo grins and hops up onto the counter. My phone vibrates beside him, and his eyes drop to it instantly.

“Doug’s messaged you,” he says, picking it up and handing it to me.

“I asked him when he’s back.” I give him a tight smile and take it. “I wasn’t expecting an answer.”

“Yeah,” Aldo says, his gaze fixed on his knees. “He’s really bad at replying to texts. Like, the literal worst.”

I stare at him for a second before swiping open my phone and pulling up the message.

DOUG: Tuesday

I snort. He’s such a fucking asshole. I know his grandmother just died, but it’s like getting blood out of a stone. The fact that Aldo says he’s notoriously shitty at responding makes me feel a little better. I go to say as much, but Aldo is still staring at his legs, a frown creasing his brow.

“Hey,” I say gently, moving toward him. “What’s up?”

He shakes his head, giving me a smile that is forced as fuck. “Nothing. Maybe a little hungover. That wine was intense.”

I hum in response, not buying his bullshit for a second. “You still care about Doug, don’t you?”

He opens and closes his mouth a couple of times before sighing and pushing a hand through his hair. “He’s hard to care about. You know what I mean? He doesn’t make it easy.”

Laughing, I point to my chin where I’m pretty sure the bruise is no longer visible. “You’re preaching to the choir, Rossi.”

Aldo reaches out and touches his fingers to my jaw, his expression pained. “He only did that because of me. I’m sorry.”

“No,” I say, wrapping my hand around his. “He did it because he has a problem with me. Doug McMann has baggage for days. Don’t you ever dare shoulder blame for that. We can help him fight his demons, but neither of us are responsible for their existence. Remember that.”

Aldo nods, but I know he doesn’t quite believe what I’m saying. I’m pretty sure he thinks that he broke Doug by ending things between them, but Doug was broken way before Aldo came along. I just have no idea why or how.

The shower shuts off and Aldo hops off the counter, squeezing my hand one last time before heading back to the bedroom. I scowl at the coffee maker. It annoys the hell out of me that Doug is able to get into my head without even trying. He’s on the other side of the goddamn world and he’s still getting under my skin. I have zero regrets about last night, or this morning, but the repercussions might be painful. Literally and figuratively.

If Doug was ready to knock me out for kissing Aldo, I’m fairly certain he’s not going to throw a party for the fact we’ve sucked each other’s dicks. Gripping the counter, I hang my head, trying not to feel guilty for the last twelve hours. They’ve been the happiest I’ve been in four years and I’m all too aware that it could all be snatched away from me at any moment. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.

By the time Joy emerges from the bathroom, her hair still damp and loose around her shoulders, I’ve poured out three cups of coffee. I don’t know how Aldo takes his, so I’ve left it black, with both milk, creamer, and sugar out. I took a gamble on Joy, hoping that she still takes it the same way. No sugar. Half milk, half creamer.

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